The Email I Will Always Keep

The Email I Will Always Keep

The Email I Will Always Keep

A year after we were married my husband forwarded me an email that brought tears to my eyes.

About 6 years ago, a year or so after we were married, my husband forwarded me an email he had received from a friend. The email had my husband’s personal message to me at the top and then the body of the email followed:

It was a busy morning, approximately 8:30 am, when an elderly gentleman in his 80's, arrived to have stitches removed from his thumb. He stated that he was in a hurry as he had an appointment at 9:00 am.
I took his vital signs and had him take a seat, knowing it would be over an hour before someone would be able to see him. I saw him looking at his watch and decided, since I was not busy with another patient, I would evaluate his wound. On exam, it was well healed, so I talked to one of the doctors, got the needed supplies to remove his sutures and redress his wound.
While taking care of his wound, we began to engage in conversation. I asked him if he had another doctor's appointment this morning, as he was in such a hurry. The gentleman told me no, that he needed to go to the nursing home to eat breakfast with his wife.
I then inquired as to her health. He told me that she had been there for a while and that she was a victim of Alzheimer's disease. As we talked, I asked if she would be upset if he was a bit late.
He replied that she no longer knew who he was, that she had not recognized him in five years now.
I was surprised, and asked him, "And you still go every morning, even though she doesn't know who you are?"
He smiled and patted my hand and said, "She doesn't know me, but I still know who she is."
I had to hold back tears as he left, I had goose bumps on my arm, and thought, "That's the kind of love I want in my life."

After I read the forwarded message it brought tears to my eyes also. Prior to meeting Derrick this email would have been a fairytale to me. I knew others who seemed to have this sentiment, but it was not something I ever thought I would have. I grew up watching a relationship that showed no outward signs of love and compassion. The word love was not something thrown around my house as a child. I didn’t know what love was until I met Derrick. He showed me that I could be loved for who I am, and that I didn’t have to change anything about myself for him to want to be with me.
This email has been forwarded around from different email accounts as I close one I make sure it gets forwarded to my new email. He doesn’t remember sending it, but I will never forget it.